This application is an application filed under 35 U.S.C. Sec. 371 as a national stage of international application PCT/FR99/02444, which was filed Oct. 12, 1999.
The present invention relates to packaging for packaging a product, which may be either liquid or solid, in one or more reservoirs formed by a shell sealed with a film. Such inexpensive packaging is often distributed as a product sample for promotional purposes. A preferred application of the invention is thus to perfumery and cosmetics. The products packaged may be of all types, such as, for example, perfumes, creams, lipsticks, or eye-shadow.
A technique that is simple and in wide use for packaging such products in the form of samples consists in thermoforming a plastics sheet so as to form a shell defining at least one concave portion that is filled with the desired product, a sealing film then being bonded to the shell but not to the concave portion, so that the film co-operates with the shell to define at least one reservoir. The shell thus defines substantially two zones, namely a plane zone to which the sealing film is bonded, and one or more zones in relief which define the reservoir(s). In general, the sealing film constitutes the back of the packaging while the thermoformed shell defines the top on which the brand and the type of the product may, for example, be indicated. The thermoformed shell thus constitutes an advertising or promotional medium for the manufacturer or for the distributor of the packaged product.
Unfortunately, the convex zone of the thermoformed shell considerably limits the area that can be used for advertising, which is often reduced to its central portion where the shape is less curved. In addition, the fact that said zone is not plane makes it difficult to print on it or to stick a label on it to indicate the type and the brand of the product. Outside the nevertheless convex central zone, it is not possible to use any other zone of the shell for indications relating to the product. The plane zone surrounding the convex zone is limited because it defines merely a narrow flange that extends around the convex zone which defines the reservoir. In addition, because of the technique that is used, i.e;. thermoforming, it is not possible to form a shell having a desired aesthetically-pleasing appearance because the shaped zone that forms the reservoir must be surrounded by the peripheral plane flange zone, which spoils its appearance. The peripheral plane zone is necessary for bonding the sealing film that closes the reservoir.
In addition, the use of the back, i.e. the sealing film, as the display medium is either impossible in practice, or at least unpleasing in appearance. In its portion in which it forms part of the reservoir, the film does not have a surface that is perfectly plane, indeed it is deformed or undulating. Furthermore, in its portion that is bonded to the shell, the film has a surface that is crinkled and that is unsuitable for receiving printing. The sealing film does not therefore form a good surface on which to place indications relating to the product.
Document U.S. Pat. No. 4,169,531 discloses packaging for tablets. That packaging comprises a thermoformed shell defining portions in relief that form reservoirs or xe2x80x9cblistersxe2x80x9d for receiving individual tablets. The shell also forms a protective flap in the form of a cover that is hinged along one edge and that can be brought back over the individual blisters. A seal is applied over the blisters so as to isolate them from one another. To remove a tablet from its blister, the cover must first be opened, and then a finger must be used to press on a portion in relief of the blister, thereby breaking the seal. The sole purpose of the hinged cover is thus to prevent any blister from being pushed in accidentally. Once it has been opened, it no longer offers a surface that is suitable for displaying indications placed thereon.
An object of the present invention is to remedy the drawbacks of the prior art by defining product packaging firstly that offers a more attractive appearance, and secondly that defines a larger suitable zone on which to indicate the brand and the type of the product.
To this end, the present invention provides product packaging comprising a shell forming at least one portion in relief and a sealing film connected to the shell except at said at least one portion in relief, so as to form at least one product reservoir, the shell being covered at least in part by a flap, said flap being integral with or secured to the shell and/or the film via two opposite edges. Thus, the flap firstly masks the reservoir which is sometimes of unpleasing appearance, and secondly offers a larger advertising-medium zone.
According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the flap is formed by the sealing film, by the shell, or by both. The flap is in the form of an extension to the film and/or to the shell that is brought back over the shell by being pivoted or folded back along a hinge. The edge opposite from the hinge is then secured permanently to the shell and/or to the film. The fixing is indeed permanent so that the flap masks the shell permanently.
In another embodiment, the flap may be formed by a separate sheet that is fixed to the shell or to the film. In which case, although the term xe2x80x9cflapxe2x80x9d is used, it is actually an independent sheet that is mounted on the shell or on the film.
In an embodiment of pleasing appearance, the flap may be provided with at least one window at the reservoir so as to reveal a portion of the shell aesthetically. This window may advantageously have an attractive shape such as the outline of a perfume bottle when the packaging forms a perfume sample.
In addition, the portion in relief may define an actuating wall for extracting product by pressing on said reservoir, the product advantageously being extracted via a spray nozzle. The mode of extracting the product from the reservoir is largely dependent on the nature of the packaged product, i.e. whether it is liquid, semi-liquid, or solid. In this case, the actuating wall is pushed in through the flap. In an embodiment, a portion of the sealing film can be peeled off so as to open the reservoir directly, or so as to reveal an outlet orifice, e.g. the outlet orifice of a nozzle.
The invention is described more fully below with reference to the accompanying drawings which show embodiments of the invention by way of non-limiting example.